Spare body panel for polisher practice?

[trashbat]

Stupid request du jour: for my own Christmas pressie, I'm thinking about buying a machine polisher, DA rather than rotary at least for now. However I'm not always the most restrained person when it comes to playing with new toys, so I'd like to practice on something that isn't my actual car.

The ideal would be metal, metallic paint, reasonable condition, and small (so a door, wing or bootlid) but of course I'm not that fussy.

Does anyone have something they'd like to part with for beer money? Otherwise, any suggestions? eBay has a few but postage renders it daft, and scrappies probably have something but it's a bit of an oddball ask since it doesn't relate to a specific car.

Edited by trashbat on Wednesday 19th December 13:53

[Envy Valeting]

It wont cost you much to get a panel from Silverlakes. I did a training day recently and I think it was £20 odd for a bonnet.
I chose one off a Mk4 Golf for the student. Fairly flat and easy going.

[E38Ross]

as above, silverlake near wickham.

[sotonboy1977]

I can drop a car car round !!!. :-)

[sotonboy1977]

And as above,head for something German as they normally have a good layer of clearcoat,French and Jap stuff is not a good start as not great paint to start with.german stuff is good for clearcoat filling scratches,wet flatting etc.

[Dave^]

I'd get something from the same model and colour of your car.

It's all right going guns blazing on hard BMW/VW paint with a course polish/pad combo.

Do that on your car could lead to an entirely different outcome.

I'd also go straight to a rotary if you're intelligent enough to get a practice panel.

[trashbat]

Dave^ said:

I'd get something from the same model and colour of your car.

It's a fair point, but may be difficult. A lot of my car has also been repainted.

I'll try Silverlake - did look through their website before posting the thread, but it's really geared towards model-specific queries, so perhaps I'll pop in.

[Aydena]

I have a friend who breaks Volvo's in Portsmouth, he has loads of doors that he is selling/getting rid of, i can enquire for you if you like?

[trashbat]

That'd be good of you, thanks!

[trashbat]

Envy Valeting said:

It wont cost you much to get a panel from Silverlakes. I did a training day recently and I think it was £20 odd for a bonnet.
I chose one off a Mk4 Golf for the student. Fairly flat and easy going.

Tim, I also meant to ask you, do you offer training to the public or was this something within your business?

[ewolg]

If you come over In the new year I'll happily show you. I've sprayed 90+ cars and restored around 12 so have a reasonable idea about paint!! http://www.create-it.co.uk/m18eut/cars_sprayed.htm

[Lurckha]

Iv'e just the thing you need, a smallish reddish Volkswagenish LT35ish: highish vanish well it will save me doing it!!!

[Meoricin]

I've still got most of the body panels from my old MR2 - the paint is in terrible condition on the bonnet (lots of spots of lacquer peel), but IIRC one of the front wings is ok. If you're in the Worthing area at all you're welcome to have panels off it.

[Envy Valeting]

trashbat said:

im, I also meant to ask you, do you offer training to the public or was this something within your business?

It was a bit of a 1 off, but I'd consider doing it again...
I went through the whole process from claying it, measureing paint thickness to taping up and going at it with all products/pads and machines from DA through to rotary so a lot of ground was covered.
Best wishes
Tim